The Walking Dead s09e12 Episode Script

Guardians

Previously on "The Walking Dead"
- You're goin' back to Alexandria?
- Yep.
There is nothin' here for me.
I read Ezekiel's letter.
We really need this fair.
If Alexandria could
just send a delegation
I'm sorry.
Your body's been through a lot lately.
- You
- It's not that.
I'm pregnant.
You call me Alpha, like all the rest.
They made you remove your skin?
They took it off me, hid it.
The one who made the trade?
He was ready to fight to keep you.
Why?
I acted like I needed his help.
Did he touch you?
No.
Did you tell him about us?
That there are only a few of us.
That I hated living like this.
I lied to get them to trust me.
Except for one thing.
I said they shouldn't cross you.
What did you find out?
They have mostly farmland.
Some supplies.
Their weapons are basic.
A few guns but not enough.
Any signs of trade?
No.
I don't think, no.
What else?
That's it.
That's it?!
I broke my own rules comin' to get you.
What do I get in return?
Excuses.
Wasted words.
Sorry, Alpha.
Is that the only reason
you came to get me?
To get information?
What a stupid question.
Who else knew about this?
Just Eugene and Rosita.
We would've told you if
we'd found someone out there,
but we didn't.
Then who knows who else was listening?
We weren't being careless with it.
Rosita and Eugene went
out to set up this relay
and almost died because of it.
Jesus did die because of it.
Negan got out while you were distracted
because of it!
I can't do my job
if the council is
keeping things from me.
We gave you the power
to veto the council
based on security concerns,
but now everything
is a security concern.
So our votes don't matter anymore,
unless you agree with them.
Putting ourselves out
there when we don't have to
is dangerous!
So is cutting us off from
the rest of the world.
Who are we supposed to
turn to when we need help?
We can't be so worried
about finding enemies
that we lose our friends.
And we did lose a friend.
Look, we all set out with
the best of intentions,
but that doesn't change what happened.
There's a new enemy out there,
and they're exactly
what Michonne was afraid we'd find.
I don't regret the time
that I spent out there
with Jesus I don't.
And what happened
Maybe that would've happened anyway.
Maybe.
But now we know what's out there,
and we can't pretend otherwise.
We put Michonne in charge of security
for a reason.
Her judgment has saved
us time and again.
Yes, but at what cost?
We saw Carol when we
were at the Hilltop.
And she told me
that she tried asking Michonne
for help with the fair again,
and she said that you turned her down.
You spoke on behalf of Alexandria?
The question of the trade
fair is old business.
Yes, but we have new information.
Look, the fair starts
the day after tomorrow,
and it's not too late to reconsider.
Carol says that the
situation at the Kingdom
is far worse than Ezekiel
let on in his letter.
They're too isolated,
and they need the trade
that this fair will bring.
The Kingdom can take care of itself.
They always have.
Carol wouldn't ask
for help a second time
if it wasn't serious.
I motion the council take a second vote
on the Kingdom's fair.
To what end?
- She'd just veto it.
- I would.
The roads leading there
are broken and dangerous,
and there is a group dressed as the dead
who are trying to kill us.
Look, I wish we could help them, too,
and we could vote
to open up our doors to our friends
just like we did with the
people of the Sanctuary.
I could get behind that.
But Carol made it clear in her letter
that Ezekiel is not ready
to give up the Kingdom,
and I'm not ready to risk
Alexandrian lives over this.
I know that you just
want what's best for us.
But what does it mean
for Alexandria to survive
if it means that the Kingdom falls?
It means Alexandria survives.
Oh, come on.
Oh, damn it.
Hey.
Hey.
Looks like it went well.
Oh, yeah.
I'm the leader of a council
that isn't really a council anymore,
so there's that.
What'd she say?
If it's all right with you,
I'd rather not talk about it.
I'm sorry.
I know I'm being difficult.
I'm not trying to be.
It's just, it's a lot.
I know.
It's okay.
I'm sorry, too.
What for?
I mean, we were just getting started.
You know, you didn't sign up for this.
Thing is, I-I didn't,
either, but it's happening.
It's a good thing, you know?
A blessing.
But if it's too much
and you want to walk,
I get it.
Is that what you want?
No, don't be an idiot.
You know what I want.
Me and Siddiq, we'll
figure our shit out,
but you and I, how we handle it
the ball's in your court.
I'm gonna go home.
Put it down, boy.
No! No!
Been tracking him since the glades.
- He's been tracking us longer.
- Just him?
Just him.
Thank you, Beta.
Who are you?
Aah!
I'll let him break it.
And the other one.
Then, your legs.
And then I'll leave you out here
to feed the hungry ones.
Ohh! Okay!
Okay, just s-stop.
I'm from Hilltop.
But they didn't send me.
I came for her.
You're so stupid.
He's coming with us.
Eyes open.
Where there's one, there's more.
Eugene, what can I do for you?
The pertinent question
is, what can I do for you?
In this first chart,
the left column enumerates
many of the positive
and negative aspects
of staying with Rosita
while she raises her progeny
with another man.
In the right column,
I've assigned each of these aspects
with a corresponding positive
or negative numeric value.
Then, on chart number two
Chart number two?
I've taken the numeric
values from chart one
and estimated their impact over time.
While there is some instability
in the first few years,
happiness shows a
definitive growth pattern
when projected over the long term.
Well
thank you for this.
I've also brought along
my scoring rubric and
evaluative criteria,
if that would be helpful.
Yeah, I, um
I don't think it would be.
All right.
But if you'll pardon my French,
you being a man of the cloth and all
you'd be a damn fool to let her go.
Listen, we've been through
the stew, me and you.
You never gave up on me even when I did.
Even with bad peepers,
you saw things I didn't.
So let me kick what I'm seein'.
Rosita is the best thing
that's happened to you
since this whole shit storm started,
so you'd do well to ponder
long and hard about this
before tossing the literal baby
out with the proverbial bath water.
But I'm not the father.
I can't let my feelings get in the way
of what's best for this child.
That ain't for you to say.
Or Siddiq.
It's her decision
Pretty much all hers.
Look, I'll admit I don't
entirely understand it.
But Rosita loves you, not Siddiq.
Certainly not yours truly,
despite my being head over
hammertoes in love with her.
So
You need to put your
hang-ups on the back burner
and figure out how to make this work,
for her sake.
You love each other.
Stop wasting time.
It's all we have in the end.
Time or love?
Both.
What's this?
It's a peace offering for
Rosita from you to her.
I turned up some pantalones
with super-stretchy waistbands
for her soon-to-be-
ever-expanding bread basket.
Thank you.
De nada.
Know why your friend
decided to follow you?
He's not my friend.
He was in the cell next to mine.
All I know is his name.
Henry.
You didn't mention Henry.
He didn't seem worth mentioning.
He thought it was worth risking his life
chasing after you.
I acted helpless, and he fell for it.
Guess he's dumber than I thought.
Don't sell yourself short.
Maybe you're just a good liar.
Know why I trust animals?
Because they don't lie.
You had to lie.
So did they.
It's what they do.
They're just words.
Air. Nothing more.
Remember that.
You're back where you belong.
This is your camp?
It's home.
For now.
Get her a new skin.
Take him with you.
Welcome home.
I'm surprised it took so long.
I want answers.
And I'm told you'll
only give them to me.
So tell me.
Why the hell did you come back?
'Cause I know for damn
sure it wasn't for nothing.
Well, in fairness to Gabe,
it wasn't all his fault that I got out.
You can't keep a big
dog locked up forever.
Sooner or later, he's got to run.
Yeah, but you ran back.
So what kind of dog does that make you?
I'm glad you asked.
You know I was in your home.
I could've waited there.
Bashed your head in
when you walked through the door.
Hell, I could've bashed
in a whole lot of heads.
But I didn't.
Because you knew you'd be
a dead man if you tried.
You're an asshole, not an idiot.
No, I think you decided to
take your shot out there,
and "out there" spit you out,
so you dragged your pathetic ass
right back here.
That's it, isn't it?
Well, you're right
The world has changed.
But the thing is
I've changed, too.
What do you want?
If you're not gonna kill me,
then maybe you could learn
to trust me a little bit.
Wow.
Wow.
You choose self-preservation
over revenge,
and you think that earns you my trust?
Wow.
If spouting fresh
bullshit counts as change,
congratulations, Negan,
you are a new man.
You're keeping me in
here to remind everybody
how merciful the great Rick Grimes was.
But I am telling you,
I can be so much more than that.
I can help you.
I don't need anything you're selling.
You have a really good
thing going for you here,
but it is slipping through your fingers.
And it is only a matter of time
before you lose control
of it completely.
Where are you getting this?
My windows to the world
are right outside your meeting room.
I'm not deaf. I hear things.
Well, you heard wrong.
Look, all I'm saying is,
I know a thing or two about
keeping people in line.
I could be a sounding board for you.
Leader to
former leader.
I'm not the leader here.
Oh, come on.
Now, I heard you wrote
up some constitution
that supposedly gives
power to the people,
and yet you've got it
so you're the one that
makes all the decisions.
Shit.
That's one hell of a racket.
- I wish I
- It's not a racket.
And you don't know shit
about what goes on here.
I know that a good leader
uses everything to their advantage.
Sorry, Negan.
If this is why you came back,
you should've stayed out there.
Michonne
Listen!
I'm not finished.
Now, we will be tying you up
while we fortify that lock.
And I want those windows closed.
Shit.
Yeah.
Yeah. There was a struggle.
They caught up to him.
Good boy.
Good boy.
Yeah.
They went that way.
Nice.
Dog.
Come on.
Out.
Bad dog.
You wonder why we do this,
why we hide among them
why we become them.
You're not them.
You're not dead.
Civilization is.
The strong adapt.
The weak die.
Like nature intended.
So, that's what today was.
You letting the weak die.
We don't go back for the lost.
Never have.
Until your cub got nabbed.
We gave up two of theirs for your girl.
I don't like that math.
You know who they are now.
Where they are, what they have.
We know, if there's conflict, we'll win.
The trade was worth it.
If you have a problem with me as leader,
you know what to do.
I challenge you.
You're not fit to lead anymore.
You think you're the man to replace me?
To become the new Alpha?
You're changing the rules again.
You have the right
to challenge my leadership at any time.
And I
have the right to defend it.
I know it was you!
What are you doing?
I saw you in the woods,
plotting with your boyfriend.
What? No, we weren't
Oh, yes, you were.
Challenge isn't his.
It's yours.
You led us into danger.
With the boy here,
we're still in danger.
His people already killed many of ours.
And where is the payback for that?
You haven't failed me.
You failed all of us.
Have I failed you?
They all follow me by choice.
'Cause I make them strong.
Because I keep 'em alive.
Me.
I don't want to fight you.
Too late.
Shh.
Oh, shh, shh, shh, shh,
shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Crying is weak.
How was practice?
Fine.
You must've gotten there late
seeing as you were standing
on the stairs outside the jail
an hour ago.
Just a couple minutes.
Why were you spying on me?
I wasn't.
I went there to see Negan.
Have you been talking to him?
Why?
I feel sorry for him.
He is not your friend, sweetheart.
Well, obviously.
So if he's not your friend,
then why are you talking to him?
He listens to me.
Not everybody does.
I don't want you to
ever go near him again.
Why not?
There's a reason that
he's in a cage, Judith.
- He is a monster.
- No, he's not.
He's a human being.
But he has done monstrous things.
He's killed people,
people I cared about,
people your dad cared about.
And if we ever let him out,
it would start all over again.
But, Mom, he did get out.
He's not like that anymore.
I get why you want to believe that.
But people don't really change.
You did.
Go to your room.
Why?
Because I need a minute.
Take off my mask.
It's been years since that happened.
Felt different this time.
The pack believes in you.
They're alive because of you.
And it's good to remind them.
When Lydia was 3,
I turned my back on
her, just for a minute.
I don't even remember why.
When I went looking, we
found her in the closet,
tangled up in the plastic
from the dry-cleaner.
The plastic was sucking into her mouth.
And I just stood there,
watching as her skin turned blue.
She fell to the floor.
I tore the plastic off her face.
And when her breathing steadied
I asked her if she was okay.
She nodded.
And then I hit her, hard,
so she'd remember never to do it again.
You have to do whatever it takes
to protect what you love,
even from themselves.
We need to protect ourselves
from the outside, too.
We need to be ready when
they come for the boy.
We already are.
Having him gives us an advantage.
He can be useful with Lydia, too.
If she feels something,
someone like him, from
somewhere like that
you need to know.
So let's find out.
Leave it there.
We'll come to you.
Hi!
Hi, Gracie. Is your daddy home?
Daddy, it's Michonne!
Hey.
Um, Gracie, go on inside and play, okay?
I'll be there in a minute.
What's going on?
I wanted to thank you.
For your support at the meeting.
I'm sure that wasn't easy.
It was, actually.
You know, we all agreed on the rules.
We agreed to live by them.
After a while, I think it was easy
for us to forget why we
had them in the first place.
But the way things
have gone down recently,
uh, made me remember.
I appreciate that.
Which is why I wanted to tell you first.
If the council wants to revote
to send a delegation to the fair
I won't veto it.
What about the ones with the skins?
If our people cross with them,
they they'll be risking their lives.
I think it's a terrible idea.
But the people can
weigh the risks and choose.
That's their right.
That's the charter they agreed to.
And that's what we swore to protect.
And
it's for the Kingdom.
I hope we don't regret this.
Yeah.
Me too.
What? Where
Wha
Pick it up.
Pick it up.
Now
kill the boy.
What?
You weren't gone long.
Maybe it was long enough.
Long enough for what?
To forget which side you're on.
Please
Don't be weak, like your father.
You know what happened to him.
Yeah, I know what
happened to him, Mother.
Kill him.
Or he'll kill you both.
You decide.
Go on.
Guardians!
Lydia, we need to go.
Keep your head down. We're leaving.
Not without Lydia.
No, the girl stays.
Then so do I.
Henry
No.
I'm not leaving you.
I won't.
- Now.
- Come on!